Résumé showcases chamber's 'one-man superband'

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2007

Who knew?

Thomas L. Wyatt, the erstwhile Athens Area Chamber of Commerce director of development and government affairs, was a regular one-man, superband. At least according to the résumé Wyatt is pitching to the Georgia Economic Developers Association.

Who knew the power and influence this man wielded from his chamber position?

What about his role in getting Clarke County's state Senate districts realigned? "Successfully lobbied state officials to redraw state senate districts and enjoyed unanimous support from the Georgia Supreme Court when it was challenged," Wyatt states on his résumé. Wow! What power. What influence. And to have that kind of clout with the state Supremes. Remarkable.

Wyatt also claims responsibility for bringing Athens-Clarke County voters non-partisan elections on the local level. "Overwhelming passed a Non-Partisan elections referendum," the résumé reads.

Never mind that the November 2004 non-partisan referendum had long been scheduled and discussed locally before Wyatt came to work for the Athens chamber in the fall of 2004.

And consider this Wyatt statement in his introductory summary: "My greatest strength is my ability to successfully navigate among diverse constituents and to present a compelling case to the public, to the media or to my board of directors."

Tell that to the Athens-Clarke County mayor and commissioners, especially States McCarter. Somebody slap me!

Also, did you know that Wyatt "successfully lobbied county officials on several important issues for the business community, including parking decks, bike lanes and zoning issues"?

I'm telling you, folks, this is an influential man. At least according to his résumé.

- Don Nelson,

Associate editor

A Gang of trouble

... There have always been "gangs" in Athens, but until the past decade or so they were mainly of neighborhood youths who banded together both socially and to commit crimes, both petty and felonious.

But in ensuing years, gangs have become more organized, getting together not just to party, but to break into cars, commit hold-ups and other serious crimes. Names like Sur 13, 18th Street and Gangster Disciples began to surface, indications that street gangs with national memberships had begun infiltrating the county.

Now there are the Bloods, and tags of that gang's arch rivals, the Crips, have also surfaced.

Even though there haven't been any high-profile acts of violence prior to (a Jan. 13) beating of the 15-year-old boy at Riverfront Apartments at the hands of purported Bloods, it is possible that gang members have remained under the radar as they proliferate.

Gangs bring nothing but trouble to a community. They usually first announce their presence by defacing property with their spray-painted tags. It would be wise to tell the police about any graffiti that shows up in your neighborhood, to give them a chance to nip any nascent problem in the bud. ...

- Joe Johnson,

Crimes and court reporter

A question of buzz

There's been a bit of buzz recently about a poll being conducted in our 10th Congressional District testing interest in who should replace U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood. That's a tad odd when you consider the fact Charlie says he isn't going anywhere.

Now, the seven-term Republican has had his share of health problems. ... He's certainly weak, but the guy's been a fighter during the whole process and is far from moving inside the Beltway in the Sky.

... you wonder who might be fishing for replacements. For several years, the seat has been the envy of a number of people, a few of whom you could name right now. When Norwood eyed other options over the years - including a potential run for governor - a lot of homegrown interest popped up. I guess it's never gone down.

I suspect this buzz is being generated by one of them, an over-eager challenger for the coveted seat. These seats don't pop open too often. So when they do, the scramble to fill is worth the price of admission. But let me say, if someone is fishing this district for replacements already, then I gotta that's more buzzard than buzz-worthy.

If it's not a potential challenger polling the masses, then you would think the party might be behind it. In light of the massive losses by Republicans last fall along with the current splintering among those who remain, state and national party leaders would certainly be interested in getting the "far right" person into that seat when it opens up.

It's not the results, but the identity of the backer that makes the buzz so interesting.

Listen, I haven't agreed with Charlie on a number of issues, but you gotta feel for a guy who looks up from his recovery bed to see the buzzards already circling.

Ain't politics grand.

- Jason Winders,

Executive editor

If he had a hammer

During Monday's MLK ecumenical service at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, guest speaker the Rev. Winfred Hope of Ebenezer Baptist Church West called on Athenians to attend to "the unfinished business" for which Dr. King gave and sacrificed his life. The Rev. Hope sang verses from the Weavers' "If I Had a Hammer," a Peter, Paul and Mary hit and civil rights movement anthem, and even demonstrated by taking a hammer to the pulpit with each phrase.

"Until we are able to get along with one another," Hope said, We must "hammer out oppression, hammer out injustice and hammer out inequality."

Thank you, Hope, for your sermon, its musicality, its humor and its earnestness.

Here's to hoping that, unlike how people forget the environment the day after Earth Day, people will remember and live a little bit of their lives toward King's dream each day until next year.

- Rebecca Quigley,

Higher education reporter

Still with Charlie

Charlie Maddox still wants to be mayor.

He came right and said so last week, when I walked him out to the parking lot after a Navy school meeting. He's been watching the mayor and commission meetings on TV and choking on his popcorn so bad that he wants another crack at it.

Let's keep this in perspective: the next mayoral election is 46 months away. Qualifying is 41 months away. Candidates who start running early often do well (see: Doug Lowry, who was sitting in on a hearings board meeting the second Charles Carter let it slip that he didn't want a fifth term). Or, they end up never officially running, or dropping out (see: well, I could give you examples, but you've never heard of any of them).

Heidi is term-limited, so Maddox won't be put in the uncomfortable position of pandering to everyone who doesn't like her. He can really be his own man, and be the unifying figure he wants to be seen as.

And the commission is going to be busy, busy, busy the next four years. At the end of it, we'll know if Partners for a Prosperous Athens worked, if rural landowners will have relief from a TDR program, if the tax burden on homeowners is lessened, if neighborhood-level planning is feasible, if city services can be extended to everyone, if we can build an economy around biotech and entertainment. There will be plenty to talk about.

Maddox said he's in good health, other than an upcoming knee surgery. But he'll be 65 in four years, so if he's elected in 2010, he said he'll only serve one term.